The most important place to start with any repair or alteration is with an assessment of whether it is a major or minor alteration. This is critical because the approval and documentation requirements for major vs. minor alterations are significantly different and, in fact, can be the difference between a simple logbook entry and a complex FAA approval process.

The AOPA 2014 Sweepstakes Debonair was awarded Oct. 5 to Steve Lagergren of rural Litchfield, Minnesota, after an elaborate ruse in which the much sought-after and highly customized airplane was delivered to him in the sky near his home airport.